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Most Popular Android and iOS Devices Likely to Fail Based on Independent Testing

The Mobile Device Repair and Security Report for the 4th quarter of 2017 conducted by Blancco revealed that the XiaomiRedmi 4 sits on top of the list for failure rates. Another one of Xiamoni’s devices, the Redmi Y1, also made the list at number eight. The company utilized diagnostics tests to rank the devices, noting that failure rate could be from a variety of factors, even lackluster performance, meaning a phone could receive a defective rating without being physically defective and requiring cell phone repair.

Samsung made up half the list, with five models making the list. The high number of failures contributed to Samsung’s first place rating for worst-performing brands in general with a 34 percent rate of failure, although the number has dropped significantly when compared to reports earlier in the year. Huawei only placed once, at number eight, for worst-performing brands. A spokesperson stated this was because there were too many devices from Huawei, although it wasn’t clearly if too many were available on the market or too many would’ve made the list.

Switching gears away from Android and over to iOS, the iPhone 6 came in first place as the worst-performing phones with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus right behind them. Rates for iPhone failure were higher than the Android devices tested for the study. The iPhone 6 is coming to the end of its lifeline since it was released in 2014. Many consumers also look for older iPhone devices to save money.

The primary reason for failure rates for Android devices was performance problems followed by the camera and microphone coming in at second and third places. iOS users cited Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity issues as the primary problem with their devices.

iOS users didn’t cite performance as one of the top five reasons, which is likely because a large majority of Android devices on the market are marketed as budget-friendly options without the performance or capabilities of iPhone devices.

Apple limits production to flagship devices with extensive testing and high-quality internal components designed to last. The company also retains complete control of the operating system to help ensure stability and maximize the power of the internal components to work with the software.

Blancco explained that Samsung and iPhone rank high on the lists for failure rates because there are more devices available to test, which creates a larger pool of data to work with.